Mama's Little Hiccup
by ZefronsAngel
Summary: A series of connected mini-stories/oneshots showing the beautiful mother/son relationship between Valka and Hiccup through the years. Family fluff. AU where Valka had been the one to make peace with the dragons.
1. In Trouble

**_Mama's Little Hiccup_**

**_"In Trouble"_**

**_..._**

**So...I was just thinking about what would've happened if Valka had changed Berk's mind about dragons and stayed at home while Hiccup was growing up. Thus, this came about:) It'll be a series of somewhat connected scenarios about Hiccup growing up on Berk. There may be some hints of Hiccstrid romance later, but not much; the story is called ****_Mama's Little Hiccup_**** after all, haha.**

**Also, I do not own the cover image. If anyone knows what wonderful artist drew that insanely adorable picture, let me know so I can give them credit.**

**...**

"Mama!" Three-year-old Hiccup Haddock burst into his parents' bedroom and climbed onto the large bed that rested by the window. His father - Stoick - had already gotten up, as he had a busy day of chiefing to get started on. His mother, however, was still lying beneath the covers, exhausted from the nearly disasterous dragon riding lesson she had given to a group of teens the evening before.

Valka opened her eyes as she felt a small hand grab her nose. "Hello, love," she greeted, sitting up and pulling her child onto her lap. "Did you sleep well?"

"I'm hungry, Mama. I'm really hungry!" exclaimed Hiccup. He twisted around and wrapped his arms about his mother's neck. "Mama, take me to get breakfast!"

The young woman thought about telling Hiccup to walk downstairs on his own, as Stoick had said he was too old to be carried around, but then decided against it and slipped off the mattress with her son in her arms. After all, he was the only living child she'd been able to give birth to, and she was well aware of the fact that she wouldn't be able to have any more, nor would Hiccup stay her cuddly mama's boy forever.

At the sound of his rider getting up, the large dragon that had been sleeping on the floor at the foot of the bed lifted his head and let out a soft moan.

"I see you, Cloudjumper," Valka said. "And you'll get your breakfast right after Hiccup does."

"Are we taking Cloudjumper for a flight today?" Hiccup asked eagerly. "'Cause I like riding him!"

"Yes, love. We'll go out after breakfast." She walked into the kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs that were arranged about the dining table.

"I want that." Hiccup pointed to the loaf of bread and the plateful of butter that were sitting almost directly in front of him.

"Alright. Go sit in your own seat and I'll help you get it."

"Okay." He crawled out of his mother's lap and into the chair beside him. "I'm ready!"

Smiling, Valka assisted Hiccup in cutting two slices of bread and buttering them. As he started to eat, she fetched him a glass of milk, then settled down next to him to begin her own meal.

"Mama, when can I get a dragon of my own?" Hiccup questioned.

"First of all, dear, don't speak when you have food in your mouth. And secondly, you can get a dragon when you're a big boy."

"But I _am _a big boy!"

"Not quite big enough, sweetheart." Valka reached over and pushed her son's auburn hair out of his eyes.

"Then when _will_ I be big enough for a dragon? I've been waiting forever!" Hiccup held out his arms dramatically to emphasize his words.

"When you're five. That's in two years."

"Two years is a long time, Mama." He paused before asking, "What if you had to wait two years for me?"

"Oh love, Mama had to wait longer than two years for you. But it was worth it."

Hiccup finished off the rest of his bread and gulped down his milk before climbing over to his mother's lap. "Will I ever have a brother or sister?" he queried.

A sad sigh escaped Valka's lips as she wrapped her arms around the little boy and kissed his head. "I'm afraid not, dear."

"Why?"

"Because Mama's tummy can't hold babies anymore."

Hiccup was silent for a minute. Eventually, he asked, "Mama, where do babies come from?"

"Oh, Hiccup. That's a lesson for another day. Another day when you are a _very_ big boy."

"Well, when I'm a very big boy, I think I'm gonna ask Astrid to marry me. She's got pretty eyes." Astrid Hofferson, who was being raised by her uncle called Fearless Finn, was three months his elder. The two of them often played together, as Valka typically watched Astrid while Finn was working around the village.

"Well, you don't need to decide who to marry just yet. You just worry about being Mama's baby for now."

"But I'm not a baby anymore!" The little Viking began to fidget.

"Then be Mama's little Hiccup." Valka hugged him tighter. "Now, how about you go get dressed and wash your face for the day?"

"Will we go ride Cloudjumper after I'm done?"

"Yes, sweetheart; we'll go ride Cloudjumper."

"Can I go play with Fishlegs after that?" Fishlegs Ingerman was the Haddocks' next door neighbor. He was only a year younger than Hiccup, and therefore had grown to become friends with him.

"We'll see. Now go do what I asked you." She loosened her hold on her son.

"Okay, Mama." The child jumped off of his mother's lap and made his way up to the loft that served as his bedroom.

Once the two were ready for the day, Valka put Cloudjumper's saddle on his back and led him out the door, Hiccup eagerly trailing close behind.

"Daddy's coming home!" Hiccup cried, pointing to a spot low in the sky where Stoick could be seen riding toward the house on his Thunderdrum he had named Thornado.

"So he is," Valka smiled as she looked in the direction where the little Viking was pointing.

"Good morning, son," Stoick greeted upon landing and dismounting his dragon. "Are you and Mama going out on a flight?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. We're going on Cloudjumper!" He jumped up and down excitedly.

Chuckling, Stoick lifted Hiccup off the ground and tossed him playfully into the air before giving him an affectionate squeeze. "Well, you have fun. Don't wear your mother out too much, though; she's got work to do at the Academy again tonight."

"Yes, Daddy." Hiccup slipped back down to the ground and struggled to mount Cloudjumper. "Come on, Mama! Mama, I need help! I can't get up!"

"Hold on a second, love." Valka held up a finger as she leaned in to kiss her husband. "What brings you back so soon, hun?"

"Those twins." Stoick shook his head. "I swear to Thor, if the Thorstons don't get their children under control soon, the whole village will be destroyed." The Thorstons had been wed three years ago. A year after that, their twin babies Ruffnut and Tuffnut had been born, and they seemed to be struggling with teaching them even the most basic rules of behavior ever since.

"But Tuffnut is fun, Daddy!" Hiccup cut in. "Yesterday, I spit in the well with him and Fishlegs and Snotlout. We also put mud in Astrid and Ruffnut's hair." Snotlout Jorgensen was Hiccup's cousin who had been born only a week after him. Though he could be a bit of a bully at times, the rest of the children seemed to accept him as a friend and playmate.

"You did what?" Stoick cast a glare in Hiccup's direction.

"We spit in the well and put mud in the girls' hair," Hiccup repeated. This time, however, he cast his eyes downward and lowered his voice to almost a whisper.

"Get inside!" Stoick shouted. "And go to your room."

With tearful eyes, Hiccup rose to his feet and trudged into the house and up to the loft, where he sat on his bed and crossed his little arms over his chest.

"You know this means a spanking," Stoick said as he stepped into the room.

"But Daddy!" The little boy kicked his legs.

"Don't talk back to me." Stoick sat beside his son and lifted him over his knee. After administering the punishment, he asked him, "Now, why don't we spit in wells and put mud in other people's hair? Why did I have to spank you for it?"

Hiccup sniffled. "'Cause I made Astrid cry and then she hit me."

"Okay, but what about spitting in the well?"

Shrugging, Hiccup replied, "Dunno."

"Son, people have to drink that water. Would you want water someone else spit in?"

"I don't care."

"Well, you'd better start caring. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Daddy." Hiccup hung his head in shame. After a pause, he asked, "Can I still go dragon riding with Mama?"

"Of course," Stoick answered. "You can go take a ride to the Hoffersons' and tell Fearless Finn you're sorry for putting mud in Astrid's hair. Then, you can go to the Thorstons' and apologize to Ruffnut and Tuffnut's parents for doing the same thing to Ruffnut. And after that, you can come back home and sit inside for the rest of the day."

"But I wanna go play with Fishlegs!"

"No. Bad little boys don't get to play with friends. Maybe you'll think about the consequences next time Tuffnut asks you to do something like that with him and the others."

"Okay," Hiccup mumbled as he fidgeted around. It was going to be a long day.

...

"I'm sorry, Astrid," Hiccup said as he looked down at the ground. He had just spoken his apology to Fearless Finn, and was now repeating it directly to Astrid. "I didn't mean to make you cry yesterday."

"I really was mad, Hiccup. You made me have to take a whole bath!" Astrid exclaimed, pushing her blonde pigtails behind her shoulders.

"I'm sorry!" he repeated, beginning to whine.

"Hiccup," Valka interjected. "Stop."

Sighing, Hiccup stepped closer to Astrid and flung his little arms around her. "Please be my friend again."

"Fine." Astrid hugged him back, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the nearby staircase. "But only 'cause I wanna show you my super cool secret that I have in my room."

"What is it?" Hiccup asked.

"Just wait and see." She led him up the stairs and into her bedroom, where a blue Nadder who only reached to the height of Hiccup's shoulders was standing.

"Oh my gods!" cried Hiccup. "You got a dragon! A real dragon!"

"Be quiet," Astrid hushed. "I don't want Uncle Finn to hear you. It's a secret, remember?"

"Can I tell Mama?"

"No! She's gonna tell Uncle Finn, then Uncle Finn's gonna take her away from me. He doesn't like dragons much."

"Hiccup?" Valka's voice drifted up the stairs.

"I'm in Astrid's room!" The little boy called back.

"Well, come back down, love. We need to go."

"Five more minutes, please!"

"No. I asked you to come _now_."

"Okay." Hiccup waved as he walked out of the room. "Bye, Astrid! See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Hiccup," Astrid returned. "And remember - no telling my secret."

"I won't. I promise." He then hurried to his mother and curled his little fingers around her hand. "Let's go to see Ruff and Tuff!" he exclaimed, attempting to pull her toward the door.

"We are," Valka said. After thanking Finn for letting them stop by, she led Hiccup out of the house and helped him mount Cloudjumper.

Hiccup smiled as Valka climbed in behind him and urged the dragon up into the air. "Mama, Astrid told me a secret!" he shouted.

"And what secret was that, dear?"

"I can't tell you. She said I can't tell anyone, not even you!"

"Well, it must be a special secret, then."

"It is." Hiccup fidgeted a bit.

"Stay still, love," Valka instructed. "I don't want you to fall."

"Why do you always call me 'love?'"

"Because I love you."

"Mama, can you snuggle me when we get home since I'm not allowed to play?" Every night before bed, Hiccup would cuddle up on Valka's lap while he either listened to a story or just rambled on about what was usually childish nonsense with her. He loved it, as it gave him a sense of comfort and security, and sometimes would ask to have that special time during the day, as he was doing now.

"No, not until bedtime," Valka said. "Mama has a lot to do around the house."

"Can I sleep with you and Daddy tonight?" Hiccup also enjoyed curling up between his parents in bed, for he didn't think it was fair that they got company while they slept and he didn't. The only time he didn't beg to spend the night with them was when Finn traveled overnight and Astrid stayed with the Haddocks. In that event, Astrid would huddle under the covers with him, and the two would chat until they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer.

"You were bad, Hiccup. You don't get rewarded for bad behavior."

"But you guys didn't let me sleep there last night, either!"

"That's because sometimes Daddy and Mama like to cuddle and talk by ourselves." Valka made Cloudjumper land as they arrived at the Thorstons'.

"But why?"

"Because sometimes adults like to be alone, just like you sometimes like to be by yourself with your friends."

"Oh." Hiccup slipped off the dragon and, with his mother by his side, walked to the front door of the house.

"Hiccup!" Tuffnut exclaimed as he peeked out the window. "We can't play now. We're eating lunch that looks like dragon barf."

"I'm not coming to play! I'm coming to say sorry to Ruff for putting mud in her hair yesterday! Daddy said I had to! And I also have to tell your Mama and Daddy that I'm sorry!" Hiccup called.

"Oh, like a sissy," Tuffnut laughed. "Little goody sissy Hiccup." He stuck his tongue out.

"Tuffnut, go get your parents, please," Valka interjected.

"Daddy's not home."

"Then get your mama."

"She's cleaning clothes 'cause Ruff just peed her pants."

"Get her anyway."

After Tuffnut begrudgingly complied, Ingrid Thorston came to the door with Ruffnut in her arms. "Hello, Valka. Hello, Hiccup. What brings you here?"

"I have to say sorry to you and Ruffnut for putting mud in Ruffnut's hair yesterday. I hope she'll still be my friend after this." Hiccup shuffled his feet.

"Well, I accept your apology, and I'm sure Ruff does, too," Ingrid said.

"I don't care about mud. I like it," Ruffnut interjected.

"I'm still sorry," Hiccup stated. He then turned to his mother. "Could we go home now, Mama?"

"Yes, dear; we'll go home," Valka replied. After bidding good-bye to Ingrid, she led her child over to Cloudjumper. Once both he and herself were settled on the massive dragon, the journey back to the Haddock house began.

And by the time they arrived there, little Hiccup was fast asleep.


	2. The Regatta

**_Mama's Little Hiccup_**

**_"The Regatta"_**

**_..._**

**Hiccup is still three in here. I love writing about little Hiccup. He's so adorable! I just wanna go give him a hug:) And just throwing this out there...he's always hated the Regatta, haha. Inspired by his complaining about it in ****_Dawn of the Dragon Racers. _****And I had to include a short bit about a Hiccstrid sleepover because let's face it...how cute would they be as little three-year-olds wearing nightclothes and tiny woolen socks? Not to mention their little yawns and childish talk and the way they'd make a mini "cuddle pile" under the covers when they got sleepy and cold. Beyond cute, right? And Hiccup's just the most loving child ever.**

** Also, FYI, my five part drabble series ****_Growing Pains _****along with my oneshot ****_Sleepover _****(all in my oneshot collection) are related to this, but they give off the more Hiccstridy side of Hiccup's life growing up. So if you want something completely focused on Hiccstrid and to see more Astrid, go check that out because there won't be Hiccstrid things in every chapter here. But anyway, here's the chapter.**

**...**

Hiccup pouted as he splashed at the water that was surrounding him. "Mama, why do I have to take baths?" he asked.

"Because you need to get clean, love. You don't want to walk around covered in dirt, do you?" Valka said. She leaned over and began to scrub his hair.

"But I hate it," the child complained, flinching out of his mother's reach.

"Stop moving about, love. The sooner you get washed up, the sooner you can be done. And remember, we need to be at the Great Hall for the Regatta feast later, so we don't have much time to waste." Every year, the Berkians held an event known as the Regatta, where each family would build a boat and race across the harbor. The festivity lasted nearly a week; the first day, a feast was held as an opening ceremony. The following three days were the races themselves, and the final day was a closing ceremony with another feast thrown in the honor of the winning family.

"But Mama!"

"Hiccup, look at me," Valka instructed firmly, placing a gentle hand underneath her son's chin and turning his face towards hers. "You need to obey."

"But I don't wanna go to the 'Gatta feast! It's gonna be boring!"

"I don't care if you want to go or not, dear. You still have to listen to me."

Groaning, Hiccup reluctantly complied to his mother's wishes and allowed her to finish helping him wash.

"Alright, love," said Valka as she lifted her child out of the washtub and wrapped him in a warm towel. "Let's go to your room and find your good clothes; you'll need to wear those today."

"Mama, I'm cold."

"You're cold, dear?" The young woman bent down and scooped Hiccup into her arms, her fingers working to fasten his towel more tightly about him as she did so. "Let's move quickly, then."

Shivering, the little boy cuddled closer to Valka and hugged her neck whilst she carried him to his bedroom. Once there, he wriggled onto the ground and picked up the tunic and leggings that were lying on his bed. "I'm gonna wear this, Mama."

"No, those are your play clothes. Go to your closet and get clean underwear and your good clothes."

"Mama, I said I'm gonna wear this!" Hiccup flung the garments at his mother and stomped his feet. "And if you don't let me, I won't wear anything at all!"

Frowning, Valka crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Why are you defying me?"

"'Cause I hate the 'Gatta!"

"That's not an excuse, Hiccup. Now, go get some underwear and your good clothes and put them on before I have to ask your father to come in here."

Pouting, the little Viking complied. Once he was dressed, he plopped onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow.

"Alright, love. Come pick up all these things that you threw at me."

"Okay, Mama," mumbled Hiccup. He slipped off of his mattress and reluctantly obeyed his mother's instructions. Then, after enduring the process of getting his hair combed and parted to the side, he grabbed the stuffed dragon Valka had made for him when he was a baby. "I wanna bring this," he said.

"Well, I suppose you can, dear. Just so long as you don't lose it. Now, go find some socks and your black boots while Mama gets changed."

"Mama, will Fishlegs and Astrid and Ruff and Tuff and Snotlout be at the feast?" questioned Hiccup.

"Yes, dear." Valka made her way to the door of her son's room. "They'll all be there."

"Can I play with them?"

"If you behave while we eat. Now, Mama really has to go get ready. I'll see you downstairs in a little bit."

...

Hiccup fidgeted about in his spot in between his parents and used his fork to pick at his plateful of smoked eel and cabbage.

"Eat, love," Valka urged. "This is your supper."

"But Mama, I don't like it!" The little boy put on a pout. "I really don't. I want something different."

At this remark, Stoick leaned down and gently grabbed his son's arm. "Hiccup, I will not put up with this commotion. You will sit quietly and eat your food. Your mother, Aunt Phlegma, Mrs. Ingerman, Mrs. Thorston, and a lot of other ladies in the village put a hard work into this meal. Don't be ungrateful."

"Daddy, I don't like it!" Hiccup threw his fork down.

"Would you rather have a spanking?"

"No."

"Then stop. I mean it."

"Just take five bites, dear," Valka cut in. "And then you can run along and play with your friends."

"What your mother said," spoke Stoick.

Sighing, Hiccup took his fork and stabbed a tiny piece of eel. Once he had choked down the required amount of food, he asked, "Daddy and Mama, may I be excused?"

"Yes, son," Stoick responded. "Just stay out of trouble."

"I always stay out of trouble," the child insisted as he grabbed the toy dragon that was resting in his lap and ran out of the Great Hall. "Ruff! Tuff!" he shouted upon noticing his friends rolling about in the grass.

"Hiccup! We're playing battle!" Tuffnut yelled. "Be on my side!"

"Okay. Where's Fishlegs and Snotlout and Astrid?" Hiccup wondered.

"Inside," answered Ruffnut.

"I'm right here!" called a voice.

Hiccup spun around to see a little blonde girl running toward him. "Astrid!" he exclaimed, holding out his arms. "Hugs!"

Giggling, Astrid rushed over him and, embracing him tightly, tackled him to the ground and gave him a playful punch on the stomach. "Hiccup, Uncle Finn said I can ask to have a sleepover at your house tonight."

"Sleepover? I wanna come!" Tuffnut complained.

"Astrid! You hurt me!" whined Hiccup.

"Sorry." The little girl climbed off of him. "But please go ask your daddy and mama if we can have a sleepover."

"And me, too!" Tuffnut chimed in.

"Me, too!" echoed Ruffnut.

"Okay." Hiccup rose to his feet. "I'll ask." He then made his way back into the Great Hall and over to where his parents were finishing their meal. "Mama," he began.

"Yes, love?" Valka turned to look at him.

"Can Astrid and Ruff and Tuff have a sleepover with me tonight? Astrid said Fearless Finn told her she could, and Ruff and Tuff wanna come, too."

"Four children in the house is two too many, dear," came the young woman's response. "Astrid may stay the night, but the others will need to wait and have a turn a different time."

"Okay, Mama."

"What's this?" Stoick broke in.

"Astrid's coming home with us for a sleepover after we're done here," Valka replied. "It'll give Fearless Finn a break and let us have some quiet time to ourselves without this little darling coming in and insisting he has to sleep in bed with us." She pushed Hiccup's hair out of his eyes.

"Mama's right, Daddy," said the child. "I don't get lonely and cry when Astrid sleeps over 'cause she snuggles with me."

"Well, in that case, I'm all for it," Stoick concluded.

...

Once the festivities died down for the evening, Stoick and Valka collected Hiccup and Astrid and began to make their way back to the Haddock house. There, Stoick excused himself to prepare for bed while Valka took the children to Hiccup's room.

"Alright," she said. "Get into your jammies, loves."

"Will we have a story when we're done?" the little boy asked.

Valka nodded. "Yes, dear; we'll have a story. Now go change."

"Okay, Mama." Hiccup walked to his closet to retrieve his nightclothes. Once he had them on - along with a warm pair of socks - he climbed onto his bed and dove beneath the covers.

"Mrs. Haddock," said Astrid as Valka finished helping her button her nightgown. "I want socks like Hiccup has. My foots are cold."

"Your _feet_ are cold," the young woman corrected gently.

"Uh-huh," the tiny blonde nodded. "My foots are very cold. I need socks."

Shaking her head and smiling at Astrid's cuteness, Valka found a pair of clean socks and handed them to the child. "There you go, sweetheart."

"Astrid, you said 'foots!'" giggled Hiccup. "And it's supposed to be 'feet!'"

"Be quiet, Hiccup!" the little girl shot back as she plopped onto the ground and pulled the socks onto her feet. "And Mrs. Haddock, could I please have leggings, too? My legs are cold."

"Well, you're welcome to put a pair of Hiccup's on. They might be a bit small, though; he's such a tiny thing." Valka found the requested item and handed it to Astrid, who eagerly slipped into it.

"Mama, I'm not tiny! I'm a big boy!" Hiccup cut in.

"Of course you're a big boy," Valka assured. "You're just petite." She took a seat beside her son and sank back into the pillows, a smile spreading across her face as he eagerly crawled into her lap and snuggled against her.

"Astrid, cuddle with us!" shouted Hiccup.

The tiny blonde jumped onto the bed and tugged on Valka's sleeve as she cuddled into her side. "Mrs. Haddock, I wanna sit on your lap too, but Hiccup's taking up all the room."

"Alright, love," Valka began, gently moving Hiccup to one side of her lap. "You sit here so Astrid can join in." She then pulled the little girl atop her legs and squeezed both children tightly.

"Mama, story!" Hiccup demanded, fidgeting around.

"Yes, dear; I'm about to start right now." After making sure the little Vikings were comfortably situated, Valka began to recite the tale of when she had trained Cloudjumper for the first time. However, she didn't make it to the end, for Hiccup and Astrid soon started to yawn and huddle in closer to one another, signaling that they were about to doze off at any minute.

"Okay, loves. I think it's time to get some rest," said Valka as she gently pried the children off her lap. After slipping off the bed, she tucked them beneath the warm furs and gave them each a kiss on the head.

"Mama," Hiccup started. "I'm cold."

"Then ask Astrid if she wants to be your snuggle buddy."

The little boy turned to his friend. "Astrid, can you be my snuggle buddy? I'm really cold."

The tiny blonde yawned. "Okay." She then pressed close to Hiccup and tugged the covers up to her chin. "I can't wait for tomorrow, Hiccup. Uncle Finn is gonna race and your daddy will race and it's gonna be fun!"

"No, it's not. The 'Gatta is boring."

"Is not."

"No fighting," Valka interjected whilst she leaned in to kiss each little Viking once more. "It's sleepy time."

Hiccup let out a tiny sigh. "Okay, Mama. We won't fight again." He reached out to hug Astrid and press a child-like kiss onto her cheek.

"There you go, love. You give hugs and kisses." Smiling at the scene before her, Valka extinguished the candle by her son's bed. "Sleep well," she said as she made her way out of the room.

"Wait, Mama!" Hiccup called just before his mother could close the door.

"Yes, dear?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too," Valka responded. "Now, try to get some rest. I'll see you both in the morning."

"Mmm-kay." The little boy yawned and squeezed his friend a bit tighter. "Nighty-night, Astrid. I love you just like I love my mama. And I love Daddy and Fishlegs, and sometimes Snotlout and Ruff and Tuff, but only if they're being nice to me."

The tiny blonde returned his embrace. "Well, I love Uncle Finn and your mama and you and Ruff and kinda your daddy and kinda Tuff and kinda Fishlegs and kinda Snotlout. And I still love my mama and my daddy even though they went to Valhalla. Uncle Finn says they watch over me there with the gods. I wish I could hug them. And I wish I could have brothers and sisters to hug."

"I want brothers and sisters too, but Mama told me I can't get any."

"Maybe we could be pretend brother and sister," suggested Astrid.

"Okay," Hiccup agreed. A sleepy sigh escaped his lips.

Just then, the door slowly creaked open. "Why do I hear you two loves talking?" Valka asked. "It's bedtime."

"Mama, Astrid's my pretend sister now," said Hiccup proudly.

The Viking woman smiled. "That's wonderful, dear. Now, get to sleep. We had a busy day today and we'll have another busy day tomorrow." She began to pull the door closed again. However, the task was interrupted by the sound of her son's small voice.

"Mama, me and Astrid are snuggling 'cause it's cold and I love her and she loves me since we're pretend brother and sister."

Valka made her way over to the bed to see the two children curled beneath the furs. Their arms were wrapped around one another and Hiccup was lying half on top of Astrid, creating a little cuddle pile. "Well, don't you two look nice and cozy." She bent down to tuck the covers more tightly around them. "Now rest. You'll have the whole day tomorrow to chat about whatever it is you wee ones have to say to each other."

"Okay, Mama. We'll sleep." Hiccup yawned as he closed his tired eyes.

And indeed they did sleep, all the while comforted by one another's presence.


End file.
